Speaking to reporters in Jerusalem, Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said "people in Gaza are dying, they are not only dying from bombs and strikes, soon many more will die from the consequences of (the) siege imposed on the Gaza Strip."
"Basic services are crumbling, medicine is running out, food and water are running out, the streets of Gaza have started overflowing with sewage," Lazzarini added, in reference to the devastated territory where approximately 45% of all housing has been damaged or destroyed — a statistic the U.N. cited from local authorities.
Lazzarini's sentiments were in response to Israel cutting supplies of food, water and power to Gaza, notably blocking all deliveries of fuel.
Israeli authorities argue Hamas militia could exploit the supplies to manufacture weapons and explosives.
Israel has pledged to ensure Hamas can no longer carry out attacks that threaten the country following the October 7 attack.
While the Middle Eastern nation continued to bombard the Gaza Strip, the first tranche of critically needed aid was arrived in the devastated territory over the weekend.
Since then 74 trucks have crossed in via the Rafah border with Egypt, which aid agencies argue is a tiny fraction of what was needed.
Before the conflict, an average of 500 trucks entered Gaza every working day, U.N. figures show.
Lazzarini said Gaza needs a "meaningful and uninterrupted aid flow" and a "humanitarian cease-fire to ensure this aid reaches those in need."
Between the bombardments and the fuel shortages, 12 of Gaza's 35 hospitals have been forced to close, and UNRWA said it has had to "significantly reduce its operations."
"What needs more support? Bakeries, water stations, life support machines in a hospital — all this needs fuel to function," Lazzarini said on Friday.
UNRWA has so far had 57 staff killed since the war began, added the U.N. authority.
U.N. World Food Program Executive Director Cindy McCain told Reuters on Thursday that unduly strict checks on trucks at the Rafah crossing had slowed the flow of aid to a "dribble."
European Union leaders on Thursday called for pauses in Israeli bombing and Hamas rocket attacks to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
At a summit in Brussels, the leaders of the EU's 27 countries expressed the "gravest concern for the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza."
The European leaders called for "continued, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access and aid to reach those in need through all necessary measures including humanitarian corridors and pauses for humanitarian needs."
Information in this report came from Agence France-Presse, Reuters and The Associated Press.
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